The ongoing protests in Sudan have shaken the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) of President Omar Hassan al-Bashir to its core, writes Ahmed Kodouda, senior program associate for the East and Horn of Africa Programme at Freedom House. 'To understand the complex challenge the Sudanese people face, it is imperative to unpack the ruling NCP and its internal components. Fundamentally, the NCP administration is an amalgamation of three distinct yet inextricably linked entities: the Sudanese military, the Islamic Movement in Sudan (Sudan's Muslim Brotherhood) and the ruling party (or the clique of individuals and businesses under Bashir).'